From its founding in 1833, Oberlin College has been at the forefront of history. In 1835, we became the first college in America to adopt a policy to admit students of color. In 1841 we were the first to award degrees to women in a coeducational program. By 1900, Oberlin had produced one-third of all African American college graduates in the United States.

Our tradition of firsts shapes campus life today. Our students and faculty apply nanotechnology to killing cancer cells; compose original plays and music; and devise new ways to sustain the environment. We are 2,900 students who engage our determination, intellect, and creativity to better understand the world around us. We embrace the idea that one person can change the world.

Oberlin’s learning environment is like no other, combining a top-ranked liberal arts college, a prestigious music conservatory, and one of the finest academic art museums in the country—on a single campus. And while Oberlin is highly selective, the student body is down-to-earth and noncompetitive.

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and a Double Degree, which leads to both BA and BM degrees within five years or, in some cases, as few as 8 or 9 semesters. Oberlin also offers artist diplomas and master’s degrees in music and teaching music.

More than $60 million in need-based grants and scholarships awarded annually; average aid package of $37,500 per recipient, with approximately 80 percent coming from grants. Three-quarters of Oberlin students receive some form of aid.

22 intercollegiate sports; 175 student organizations; 500 concerts and recitals, several film series, national speakers, about 40 theater and dance productions, and two operas annually; one of the top 5 college art museums in the nation.

Sports—whether varsity athletics, club sports, intramural, or recreational—are a valuable part of the Oberlin experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art track and field and soccer facility, we have just built a multi-sport complex and have plans for a health and wellness center with a fully renovated pool, fitness area, and café. Facilities are currently equipped with full cardio and weight machines, racquetball and squash courts, indoor track and tennis courts, and a 25-foot climbing wall.

.Our students and faculty remain ahead of the curve, whether working for environmental sustainability or challenging conventional thought in music, science, the arts, or humanities. And we are just as committed to changing the world for the better. For example, Rachel Manning (above), a sociology and East Asian studies double major from Princeton, N.J., won a Udall Scholarship for her Mountain Garden Initiative in the Kentucky Appalachian region that addresses food access issues and promotes healthful eating. Food, by the way, is an important part of the Oberlin culture: 40 percent of food served in the dining halls comes from local sources, including a nearby organic farm where students work. And one in five Oberlin students choose to live or eat in a co-op; others live in one of nine program houses that offer immersion experiences such as African or Asian culture or Russian or Spanish language.

Students of all majors thrive in Oberlin’s ever-present live music and arts scene. The Conservatory of Music sponsors nearly 500 concerts annually, and our campus disco hosts pop, rock, folk, and rap groups all year long. Our one-of-a-kind art rental program lets students borrow original works of art each semester for $5 from the Allen Memorial Art Museum—home to paintings by Monet, Picasso, and Warhol. A large number of Oberlin graduates channel their passion to become prominent in their chosen field—but always with a higher purpose in mind. Musicians Claire Chase ’01 and Jeremy Denk ’90, for example, are the ninth and tenth Oberlin graduates to win a MacArthur “genius” grant. Studio art major and Boston native Matthew Gallagher(above) was chosen from his peers as the Grand Award winner of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts—symbolizing his transition from student artist to professional artist.

At Oberlin, we don’t shrink from difficult issues—we use our knowledge to make a difference. For example, a project called Kenya Reads, led by students Ty Diringer, Peterson Njamunge, and Shauna Godfrey (above), supplies textbooks and created the first-ever interschool library for students in an impoverished area of Kenya. Also, in a groundbreaking collaboration between Oberlin College and the city, students and faculty launched the Bioregional Dashboard, a user-friendly way to provide feedback on energy and water usage across the community — and ultimately to foster more environmentally engaged citizens. Finally, 63 percent of Oberlin students complete 100,000 hours of community service each year; in the America Reads and America Counts programs, for example, students offer one-on-one tutoring in the local schools. Students also packaged 10,000 meals for shipment to Haiti through the organization Stop Hunger Now.

At Oberlin, students aren’t satisfied to learn only from books and classes. Lab research and one-on-one time with faculty give students a competitive advantage when applying for prestigious grants and fellowships. Adam Birdsall (above), who double majored in chemistry and piano performance, earned a Goldwater Scholarship after partnering with a chemistry professor to study the mechanisms by which organic compounds react to produce ozone and organic aerosols. Today, he is working toward a PhD in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Oberlin physics major Jennifer Schloss, now a PhD student at MIT, was one of 15 graduate students in the U.S. selected for a $250,000 Hertz Fellowship this year. At Oberlin, out-of-classroom exploration peaks every January during winter term; it’s a month away from classes that’s designed to let you dive into a project or internship of your choice.

We enroll about 2,900 students—2,300 in the College of Arts and Sciences and 580 in the Conservatory of Music, including 180 in the Double-Degree Program. Our student body includes 9% in-state, 84% out-of-state, 7% from abroad, and 22% people of color.